Alcohol and prescription medications

Alcohol and prescription medications

General Awareness

This course provides students with the facts about the “legal” substances that can have a devastating effect in the workplace.

Under law both employers and employees have a duty to ensure that the workplace is safe. A risk includes dangerous behaviour resulting from drug or alcohol use. Employees have a duty to take reasonable care for their own and others' safety. Employees must comply with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health and safety, including a policy on alcohol and drugs. Employers, managers and employees should be made aware of the signs that people give when alcohol and drugs use impairs their behaviour or performance and of the risks and responsibilities involved.Providing information and training should make everyone in the workplace more aware of the signs to look for, and of how to raise this with their manager or employer. It should be emphasised that the aim of providing information and training is about developing the right environment based on prevention. Using external people to lead information and training programmes can be a good approach. Managers and employees should participate in the programmes on an equal basis. Health and Safety at Work Act 2015